adept

Thanks for the reply Apech. Yes the hernia was fixed with a mesh, in fact quite a lot was used this time as the rupture was bigger than anticipated. This also may be one of the causes for these post-operative complications. In the past I've recovered fine, only for another hernia to emerge years later. It's interesting that you say that I might be sensitive to qi. All throughout my life I've had a sort of a sixth sense regarding people and situations. Maybe I can detect certain intentions and incidents just before they happen ? I may be picking up on qi and the training and practices that I've done could be amplifying those feelings. I think you might be on to something there. I'll have a look at deep shamatha breathing, thanks for the recommendation.

It's very rare that I visit doctors. Only because of my hernia problems and that it can only be fixed with surgery. Because of the complications post-surgery, my surgeon and family doctor were going to be my first ports of call. I do know a TCM practitioner who will most likely be more helpful than these licensed drug-pushers.

I know. It's an antidepressant. Apparently at low doses it works on nerve pain.

I actually contacted my doctor, not the surgeon who prescribed me the pregabalin, and he put me on amitriptyline. They were ten times worse than the pregabalin. Absolutely awful. It took me a couple of days to put myself right. I'm not taking these types of medication again.

I know an acupuncturist who helped cure me from particularly nasty hay fever a lot of years ago. I may ask him for some advice.

Thank you. This is excellent.

Thanks Nungali. Funnily enough I was thinking of marijuana as I was posting. A friend of mine has had an incredible cancer reversal using cannabis oil. He was given six months to live two years ago with an aggressive bowel cancer and put on chemo. The chemo did nothing for him and so he scoured the internet looking for alternatives. He's now cancer free and the doctors are amazed.

Greetings all. I'm now in my mid-fifties and I consider myself to be very healthy. I rarely get sick. I can't even remember the last time I had a common cold. From childhood I've always been active. I took up several martial arts in my teens and continued into my thirties when I got interested in the internals. Since then I've had a daily qigong and meditation routine for over two decades, have always eaten well and tend to have a positive outlook on life, despite the state of the world these days. The only thing I've had a problem with health wise is recurring abdominal hernias. I've had 4. The last operation earlier this year was far bigger and deeper than my previous ones. My surgeon wanted to repair in such a way so that there was very little chance of another coming back. Recovery took longer because of this, but I noticed something concerning immediately after my procedure. I have a protrusion where the wound is situated and a constant soreness which gets very painful at times. An ultrasound scan found nothing there. No fluid, blood, or another hernia. Nothing. Just a painful, but soft and squidgy pot at the bottom of my abdomen. Very unsightly. My surgeon said that it looks to be fat and muscle which has binded itself to the scar tissue during the recovery process and that I may have to have plastic surgery to remove the unsightly lump if it doesn't subside in the next 6 months. The thing that is really bothering me is the pain. My surgeon has diagnosed me with chronic pain which happens in only 3% of patients hernia surgeries. All regular pain medication is not working and so he prescribed me with Pregabalin, which is normally an anti-convulsant medication but when taken in small doses it is a nerve pain medication. However the side-effects are horrendous and I have experienced some of these already only a few days in. Dizziness, suicidal thoughts, pain in the limbs, headaches, brain fog and lack of co-ordination have plagued me for several days. I feel absolutely terrible and have stopped taking them. I'm looking for alternative means of dealing with this chronic pain, whether that's medication, exercises, energy work, herbal remedies. If anyone has any suggestions I'd ver much appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Thanks dwai. I intend to act upon this very fortunate gift I have had the good fortune of receiving. The words of encouragement and genuine help is the reason I keep coming back to the forums. The Dao Bums is indeed a special place.

Yes. That's the reason for the thread. I feel like I'm being urged to practice it, even though it's entirely different to me. Maybe what I think is right for me, actually isn't, and forces greater than myself know better.

Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure how, or if to, proceed. Mantra recitation seems at odds with my current practices and study. I've invested a lot of time, and money, in what I do, which all come from Chinese traditions. This is what is totally perplexing about it. Sanskrit mantras weren't even on my radar. A lot of years ago when I was searching for a path, I was briefly interested, but found myself more suited to Daoist practices.

Hi dwai. Yes I remember the mantra vividly, every syllable. I would prefer not to disclose it, even in a PM. I've heard it before, many years ago and also seen it in written form, but mantra is not a practice which I have as part of my cultivation routine, which is what has me so intrigued. Also the clarity of the whole experience. Like a dream but not a dream. Very difficult to put into words. After writing the OP, I did some searching online. Some were of the understanding that it is a very auspicious sign that should be pursued.

Greetings all. I would like some advice and insight on something which happened to me last night/this morning. I was dreaming that I was repeatedly reciting a Sanskrit mantra. There were no visuals accompanying the sounds, only the mantra, entering my mind, and then me reciting it. As I started to wake from the dream, I was actually reciting the mantra out loud and kept repeating it. When I was fully awake I felt incredible. Is there a reason for this ? Am I being subconsciously prompted to follow a certain path ? A sign from God ? It's still so fresh in my mind which is also unusual as dreams tend to dissipate as time passes.

Over the last few days I've been pondering and meditating on the 'investigation of things' from the Daxue. What struck me was the sheer depth of such a short statement. As I suggested earlier, the investigation of things is the starting point for cultivating illustrious virtue. Without this investigation, self-cultivation is not possible as we read further down on the passage posted by ZYD : ''From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides." Investigating of things, then behaving appropriately after acquiring knowledge through this investigation, is self-cultivation. From my so far limited understanding, this process is repeated constantly, refining the self and eventually becoming a person of illustrious virtue. I believe I may have found myself a worthwhile life-path of study, practice and meditation. Thanks to everybody involved in contributing to this thread.

Osho was about as materialistic as any 'guru figure' ever. Have you even read about his lifestyle ?